Browsing by Author "Zou, Yingping"

Now showing 1 - 8 of 8

A High-Mobility Low-Bandgap Copolymer for Efficient Solar Cells
(2010-12-15)
Ding, Ping
;
Chu, Cheng-Che
;
Liu, Bo
;
Peng, Bo
;
Zou, Yingping
A new high-mobility low-bandgap polymer, PBDT-DODTBT, based on benzodithiophene and 5,6-bis(octyloxy)-4,7-di(thiophen-2-yl) benzothiadiazole has been synthesized through a standard Stille coupling reaction. The polymer is soluble in common organic solvents, such as chloroform, tetrahydrofuran, and chlorobenzene and has excellent film forming properties. Preliminary studies of the copolymer showed the charge mobility as high as 7.15 x 10(-3) cm(2).V(-1). s(-1) from SCLC measurement. Initial photovoltaic cells based on the composite structure of ITO/PEDOT: PSS/PBDT-DODTBT: (alpha)PC(71)BM (1:2)/Ca/Al showed an open-circuit voltage of 0.76 V, a power conversion efficiency of 4.02%, and a short-circuit current of 8.96mA.cm(-2).
Effects of thiophene units on substituted benzothiadiazole and benzodithiophene copolymers for photovoltaic applications
(2012-09-05)
Ding, Ping
;
Zou, Yingping
;
Chu, Cheng-Che
;
Xiao, Dequan
;
Hsu, Chain-Shu
Two conjugated copolymers, poly{4,7-[5,6-bis(octyloxy)]benzo(c)(1,2,5)thiadiazole-alt-4,8-di(2-ethylhexyloxyl)benzo[1,2-b:3,4-b]dithiophene} (P1) and poly(2-{5-[5,6-bis(octyloxy)-4-(thiophen-2-yl)benzo(c)(1,2,5)thiadiazol-7-yl] thiophen-2-yl}-4,8-di(2-ethylhexyloxyl)benzo(1,2-b:3,4-b)dithiophene) (P2), composed of benzodithiophene and 5,6-dioctyloxybenzothiadiazole derivatives with or without thiophene units were synthesized via a Stille cross-coupling polymerization reaction. These copolymers are promising for applications in bulk heterojunction solar cells because of their good solubility, proper thermal stability, moderate hole mobility, and low band gap. The photovoltaic properties of these copolymers were investigated on the basis of blends of the different polymer/(6,6)-phenyl-C71-butyric acid methyl ester (PC71BM) weight ratios under AM1.5G illumination at 100 mW/cm2. The device with indium tin oxide/poly(3,4-ethylene dioxythiophene):poly(styrene sulfonate)/P2:PC71BM (1 : 2 w/w)/Ca/Al gave a relatively better photovoltaic performance with a power conversion efficiency of 1.55%. (C) 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012
Efficient solar cells based on a new polymer from fluorinated benzothiadiazole and alkylthienyl substituted thieno[2,3-f]benzofuran
(2015-05-01)
Cui, Ruili
;
Zou, Yingping
;
Xiao, Lu
;
Hsu, Chain-Shu
;
Keshtov, Mukhamed L.
A new conjugated D-A copolymer, TBFBT, containing a fluorinated benzothiazole electron-acceptor unit and an electron-donor segment of alkylthienyl substituted thieno[2,3-f]benzofuran, was synthesized using a Stille coupling reaction. The resulting copolymer was characterized by elemental analysis, GPC, TGA, UV-Vis absorption spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry measurements. The copolymer was readily dissolved in common organic solvents, exhibited good film forming properties and displayed a broad absorption from 300 nm to 800 nm with a low optical bandgap of 1.56 eV. Cyclic voltammetry measurement gave HOMO and LUMO energy levels of -5.11 eV and -3.49 eV, respectively. Polymer solar cells based on TBFBT: PC61BM (1:1.5, w/w) demonstrated an initial power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 4.1% with a V-OC of 0.72 V and a J(SC) of 11.6 mA cm(-2). PSCs based on TBFBT:PC71BM (1:1.5, w/w, 3 vol% 1,8-diiodooctane as additive) were further optimized by using methanol. The optimized result exhibited a high PCE up to 6.1% with a high J(SC) of 14.4 mA cm(-2) and FF of 0.62, under the illumination of AM1.5G, 100 mWcm(-2). These investigations indicate that the new copolymer TBFBT is a promising donor material for PSCs and methanol treatment is a simple and effective way to improve PCE. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Incorporation of Fluorine onto Different Positions of Phenyl Substituted Benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b ']dithiophene Unit: Influence on Photovoltaic Properties
(2015-07-14)
Yuan, Jun
;
Zou, Yingping
;
Cui, Ruth
;
Chao, Yi-Hsiang
;
Wang, Zaiyu
We have designed and synthesized two low bandgap conjugated copolymers containing alternating meta-fluoro-p-alkoxyphenyl- (m-FPO-) or p-fluoro-m-alkoxyphenyl- (p-FPO-) substituted benzodithiophenes-co-benzooxadiazole (BO), named PBO-m-FPO and PBO-p-FPO. The properties, including UV-vis absorption, charge mobility and photovoltaic performance of the two polymers have been intensively investigated. The results indicated that the introduction of fluorine atom at m, p positions of phenyl substituted benzodithiophene unit hardly affected their absorption spectra and highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) level. However, the two polymers showed different photovoltaic properties. Power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) based on the device structure of ITO/PEDOT:PSS/polymer:PC71BM/Ca/Al demonstrated a large distinction (5.9% for PBO-m-FPO vs 2.8% for PBO-p-FPO) at optimal weight ratio. When replacing the Ca layer with zirconium acetylacetonate (ZrAcac), using 3% 1,8-diiodooctane (DIO) as the active layer additive, the PCEs of PBO-m-FPO and PBO-p-FPO increased by 36% (8.0% vs 5.9%) and 85% (5.1% vs 2.8%), respectively. The active layer\'s mobilities, morphology and molecular packing resulted in a significant difference in short-circuit current density (J(sc)) and fill factor (FF).
New Low Bandgap Conjugated Polymer Derived from 2, 7-Carbazole and 5, 6-Bis(octyloxy)-4, 7-di(thiophen-2-yl) Benzothiadiazole: Synthesis and Photovoltaic Properties
(2012-01-05)
Ding, Ping
;
Chu, Cheng-Che
;
Zou, Yingping
;
Xiao, Dequan
;
Pan, Chunyue
To develop conjugated polymers with low bandgap, deep HOMO level, and good solubility, a new conjugated alternating copolymer PC-DODTBT based on N-9'-heptadecanyl-2,7-carbazole and 5, 6-bis(octyloxy)-4,7di(thiophen-2-yl) benzothiadiazole was synthesized by Suzuki cross-coupling polymerization reaction. The polymer reveals excellent solubility and thermal stability with the decomposition temperature (5% weight loss) of 327 degrees C. The HOMO level of PC-DODTBT is -5.11 eV, indicating that the polymer has relatively deep HOMO level. The hole mobility of PC-DODTBT as deduced from SCLC method was found to be 2.03 x 10(-4) cm(2)/Versus Polymer solar cells (PSCs) based on the blends of PC-DODTBT and [6,6]-phenyl-C(71)-butyric acid methyl ester (PC(71)BM) with a weight ratio of 1:2.5 were fabricated. Under AM 1.5 (AM, air mass), 100 mW/cm(-2) illumination, the devices were found to exhibit an open-circuit voltage (V(oc)) of 0.73 V, short-circuit current density (J(sc)) of 5.63 mA/cm(-2), and a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 1.44%. This photovoltaic performance indicates that the copolymer is promising for polymer solar cells applications. (C) 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 123: 99-107, 2012
Potassium-Presenting Zinc Oxide Surfaces Induce Vertical Phase Separation in Fullerene-Free Organic Photovoltaics
(2020-01-01)
Cheng, Hao-Wen
;
Raghunath, Putikam
;
Wang, Kai-li
;
Cheng, Pei
;
Haung, Tianyi
Bulk heterojunction (BHJ) structure based organic photovoltaics (OPVs) have recently showed great potential for achieving high power conversion efficiencies (PCEs). An ideal BHJ structure would feature large donor/acceptor interfacial areas for efficient exciton dissociation and gradient distributions with high donor and acceptor concentrations near the anode and cathode, respectively, for efficient charge extraction. However, the random mixing of donors and acceptors in the BHJ often suffers the severe charge recombination in the interface, resulting in poor charge extraction. Herein, we propose a new approach-treating the surface of the zinc oxide (ZnO) as an electron transport layer with potassium hydroxide-to induce vertical phase separation of an active layer incorporating the nonfullerene acceptor IT-4F. Density functional theory calculations suggested that the binding energy difference between IT-4F and the PBDB-T-2Cl, to the potassium (K)-presenting ZnO interface, is twice as strong as that for IT-4F and PBDB-T-2Cl to the untreated ZnO surface, such that it would induce more IT-4F moving toward the K-presenting ZnO interface than the untreated ZnO interface thermodynamically. Benefiting from efficient charge extraction, the best PCEs increased to 12.8% from 11.8% for PBDB-T-2Cl:IT-4F-based devices, to 12.6% from 11.6% for PBDB-T-2Cl:Y1-4F-based devices, to 13.5% from 12.2% for PBDB-T-2Cl:Y6-based devices, and to 15.7% from 15.1% for PM6:Y6-based devices.
Rational Tuning of Molecular Interaction and Energy Level Alignment Enables High-Performance Organic Photovoltaics
(1970-01-01)
Wang, Rui
;
Yuan, Jun
;
Han, Guangchao
;
Huang, Tianyi
;
Huang, Wenchao
The performance of organic photovoltaics (OPVs) has rapidly improved over the past years. Recent work in material design has primarily focused on developing near-infrared nonfullerene acceptors with broadening absorption that pair with commercialized donor polymers; in the meanwhile, the influence of the morphology of the blend film and the energy level alignment on the efficiency of charge separation needs to be synthetically considered. Herein, the selection rule of the donor/acceptor blend is demonstrated by rationally considering the molecular interaction and energy level alignment, and highly efficient OPV devices using both-fluorinated or both-nonfluorinated donor/acceptor blends are realized. With the enlarged absorption, ideal morphology, and efficient charge transfer, the devices based on the PBDB-T-F/Y1-4F blend and PBDB-T-F/Y6 exhibit champion power conversion efficiencies as high as 14.8% and 15.9%, respectively.
Realizing Efficient Charge/Energy Transfer and Charge Extraction in Fullerene-Free Organic Photovoltaics via a Versatile Third Component
(2019-08-01)
Cheng, Hao-Wen
;
Zhang, Huotian
;
Lin, Yu-Che
;
She, Nian-Zu
;
Wang, Rui
Solution-processed organic photovoltaics (OPVs) based on bulk-heterojunctions have gained significant attention to alleviate the increasing demend of fossil fuel in the past two decades. OPVs combined of a wide bandgap polymer donor and a narrow bandgap nonfullerene acceptor show potential to achieve high performance. However, there are still two reasons to limit the OPVs performance. One, although this combination can expand from the ultraviolet to the near-infrared region, the overall external quantum efficiency of the device suffers low values. The other one is the low open-circuit voltage (V-OC) of devices resulting from the relatively downshifted lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) of the narrow bandgap. Herein, the approach to select and incorporate a versatile third component into the active layer is reported. A third component with a bandgap larger than that of the acceptor, and absorption spectra and LUMO levels lying within that of the donor and acceptor, is demonstrated to be effective to conquer these issues. As a result, the power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) are enhanced by the elevated short-circuit current and V-OC; the champion PCEs are 11.1% and 13.1% for PTB7-Th:IEICO-4F based and PBDB-T:Y1 based solar cells, respectively.